The San Francisco Giants played their first Major League game at AT&T Park on April 11, 2000. The ballpark lies on the San Francisco Bay in a city neighborhood called South Beach, which has the Embarcadero as its northern border. AT&T Park has an award-winning design that offers fans outstanding views of the city and the Bay. The seating capacity is 41,503, and the playing field is a blend of Kentucky Bluegrass. View the AT&T Park seating chart for more information about the seating areas throughout the ballpark.
When Giants fans attend a game at AT&T Park, they look forward to seeing one of the Giants players hit a home run into McCovey Cove. Fans who have been following the Giants for any length of time know that the part of the San Francisco Bay that lies just beyond the right field wall is McCovey Cove. This name honors Hall of Famer Willie McCovey, the Giants first baseman from 1959 to 1973. McCovey was a left-handed power hitter who often pulled the ball deep down the right field line. The scoreboard at AT&T Park lights up with the phrase “Splash Hit” whenever a Giants player hits one into McCovey Cove.
The Coca-Cola Fan Lot lies above the left field bleachers at Promenade Level. This family fun area is one of the most prominent features of AT&T Park because it includes a 130,000-pound Coca-Cola bottle that sits next to a huge 1927-vintage baseball glove that has only four fingers. The Fan Lot is open all year long, and fans can enjoy it free of charge. Inside the bottle, there are platforms from which fans can watch the game in addition to four exhilarating slides. Two of the slides have curves, and are 56 feet long. The other two are 20 feet long, and incorporate twists. When a Giants player hits a home run, strobe lights flash inside the bottle, and at the same time the green and white lights on the exterior come alive. Another creative part of the Fan Lot is Little Giants Park, a miniature version of AT&T Park that measures 50 feet by 50 feet. Small children can run the bases or go to bat against a pitching machine that throws whiffle balls.
The Giants offer food items that range from the usual ballpark fare to sophisticated gourmet and ethnic menu selections. The Derby Grill, for example, at sections 104, 130, 209 and 312 serves up Giants Dogs, burgers, cheesesteaks and grilled chicken sandwiches. Fans with a more discriminating palate can go to Mashi’s Sushi Bistro at section 210 for sushi and edamame. There is also the Pier 44 Chowder House in center field that has delicious clam chowder served in a novel sourdough bread bowl.
Fans approaching AT&T Park on foot may first notice the two King Street clock towers. These red-brick architectural elements are 122 feet tall, and each one has a circular, eight-foot diameter clock near the top just under the “AT&T Park” sign. The towers are capped off by a pyramid structure with a flagpole rising from it.